Garment



R. M. REID GARMENT Filed 001:. 11, 1946 INVENTOR MARIE REID ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 GARMENT Rose Marie Reid, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Rose Marie Reid, Los Angeles, Calif., 21. corporation of California Application October 11, 1946, Serial No. 702,777

3 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to a garment and is more particularly concerned with a bathing suit embodying a novel construction for causing it to snugly fit the body of a wearer in a, flattering manner; and constitutes a continuation-in-part of my copending application covering a Bathing Suit, Serial No. 566,756, filed December 5, 1944, now Patent 2,431,505, dated November 25, 1947.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a garment such as a bathin suit or the like utilizing an elastic fabric which is so cut and assembled as to cause the garment to snugly fit the body of the wearer in a smooth Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing details of construction of the breast supporting cups forming the lining of the bust portion of the garment; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

For purposes of illustration, the garment embodying the features of my invention has been illustrated on the drawings as comprising a bathing suit having a skirt portion, generally indicated by the numeral l0, which is extended above and flattering manner. 5 the waist line to provide a bust covering portion, A further object of the invention is to provide as generally indicated by the numeral II. The

a closely fitting garment of the herein described garment as a whole is so designed and fabricated type, wherein a fabric having elastic characteras to fit the body snugly and tightly around the istics is so combined with elastic securing bands waist and hips.

as to enable the use of waist and hip covering Specifically, the garment includes a front panel portions of sufiicient size to permit a wearer to put on or take off the garment without the necessity of having to provide buttoned or otherwise secured slits, openings, or the like which would detract from the appearance of the garment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment of the herein described character which will shape and support portions of the body of the wearer in the areas of the bust and ab dcmen in a flattering manner without discomfort or impedance to free movements of the body, and which will prevent undesirable exposure of the bust in the side portions of the garment in front and below the arms of the wearer.

Still another object is to provide a garment having a lining in the form of a brassiere of novel construction, which will act to raise and provide a firm support at the lower portions of the breasts, and at the same time mold the upper portions thereof in such a manner as not only to provide comfort to the wearer of the garment, but, moreover, enhance the appearance of the wearer.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following parts of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations on the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a front view of a garment embodying the features of my invention, certain parts being broken away to show construction details;

I2 and a rear panel 13 having their side edges stitched together along the seams I l-44.

The front of the garment includes in the bust covering portion 1 1 two oppositely extending sections l5-l5, stitched together along a medial seam l6 and along their outer edges stitched to the rear panel along seams forming continuations of the seams I l-M. The sections 3-45 are stitched along their lowermost edges to the upper end of the front panel by seams lll'l.

As shown in Fig. 1, a second underlying panel 18 is provided under the front panel S2. The panel 18 is, in general, coextensive with the front panel and is similarly secured along its sides and top by the seams M and H. In its lower portion, however, adjacent the lowermost edge of the front panel 12, the panel I 3 is made of greater width. than the panel 52 to provide fullness in a horizontal direction. In this portion of the panel 8, it is gathered along the area 19 on each side, where it is secured to form the seams M, in order to cause the adjacent panel areas to snugly fit the leg curvatures of the wearer. The lowermost edge of the panel 18 is stitched along a seam 28 to a crotch piece 2!, the other end of this crotch piece being secured by a seam 22 to the rear panel E3. The panel 18 is cut to provide edges 2323 which cooperate with the sides of the crotch piece and the lower edges of the rear panel to form leg openings 24.

The portions of the garment thus far described are fabricated from a material or fabric having directions of elasticity and non-elasticity disposed in right angled relation. The panels and sections are cut from this material and assembled to provide directions of elasticity therein, as indicated by the arrows .ra:. Advantage has thus been taken of this characteristic of the material, and by so doing, I have been able to provide a garment which will fit tightly around the body and may be slipped over the hips of the wearer without the necessity of having to provide slits or openings which are buttoned or otherwise closed and which mar the smoothness and snug fit of the garment.

The panel I8 and crotch piece 2i have their directions of elasticity disposed substantially at right angles, as indicated, and these portions will closely fit and accommodate themselves to the wearers body below the abdomen. Moreover, the more or less undesirable display of this portion of the wearers body is shielded by the front panel which provides a pleasing and smoothly changing contour in this area. A snug fit is socured around the leg openings by the provision of an elastic band 25 which is stitched or otherwise secured to the inside of the leg portions and extends from the sides of the crotch piece around the leg openings to the seams l4 and thence across the lower edge of the front panel l2, as indicated.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the rear panel 53 is shaped along its upper edge to provide a low, curved back, and further extends forwardly and upwardly under the arms. In order that the garment may provide adequate cover for the bust and snugly fit this part of the wearers body, the elastic action of the material is augmented by the provision of a hem 26. This hem is constructed of the elastic material previously described, the material being so cut as to provide elasticity lengthwise of the hem. Referring to Fig, 3, the hem is shown as being composed of a folded strip, the edges being turned in-- wardly and secured as by stitching to an elastic band 2'! inside of the hem and extending lengthwise along the upper edge thereof. In constructing the hem, the material thereof is gathered where secured to the elastic band 2'! so as to form gathered portions along the center of the back and forward of the arm pits as indicated by the numeral 23 in each case. The looped edge of the hem is stitched to the upper edge of the rear panel l3 as by stitching along a seam 29. It will be apparent that in these sections 28 of the hem the tension forces applied by the elastic band 2? will be considerably greater in these areas, when the hem fabric has been stretched or extended so that the gathered portions lie smooth- 1y against the body.

The ends of the hem 25 have shoulder straps 3S secured thereto as by stitching 3|. These shoulder straps may or may not be of elastic material, and at their free ends are provided with button holes 32 by means of which the strap ends may be secured to buttons 33 in the underarm portions of the garment. In order that the stitching which secures the hem 26 to the material of the rear panel may not be subjected to pull of the shoulder straps, the buttons 33 are each mounted on a tape as shown in Fig. l, having their innermost ends secured to the rear panel, this tape thus acting to transfer the shoulder strap pull directly to the rear panel material free of the adjacent stitching by which the hem 2% is secured.

The longitudinal elasticity of the hem 26 and its associated elastic band 2'1 function to cause the garment to cling to the body along the back and under the arms, with the result that the bust will not be exposed. The elastic band and elasticity of the hem cooperate to cause this action. particularly in the upwardly extending portion of the rear panel which lies immediately forward of the arm pits, where the material has substan' tially no elasticity in a vertical direction.

Referring further to Fig. 4, the appearance of the wearer of a garment embodying the features of my invention is additionally enhanced by providing an inner lining for the bust covering portion, as generally indicated by the numeral 35. This lining is composed of oppositely extending sections 3638, having their innermost edges attached along the medial seam It as by stitching 37. The upper edge of each section is secured as by stitching 38 to the fabric of the associated section 15 along its upper edge, and the outermost edge of a section 36 is secured as by stitching 39 adjacent the seam 29 by which the hem 25 is secured. The bottom of each section 36 is unsecured.

More specifically, each section 36 is composed of fabric which is doubled or folded on the straight of the fabric texture to provide a bottom support piece 40 of double thickness. The innermost edge of the bottom piece 48 is curved as shown at 4!, and secured as by stitching 42 to an upper molding piece 43 which is cut on a bias.

The pieces 40 and 43 cooperate to form a cup or pouch in each section 36 for supporting a wearers breast. The piece 40 forms a firm support for the breast, and maintains it in a raised position so that the upper portion is bulged and is conformed or molded by the upper piece 43 in a flattering manner. The operation of the lining 35 is augmented by the elastic action of the hem 2B and its associated elastic band 21 together with the elasticity of the adjacent fabric of the sections 55 and rear panel l 3.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment comprising a body portion having a central front panel and a rear panel secured to each other along their side edges, a second underlying front panel having side edges attached to the side edges of the rear panel, said second front panel in its lower extremity being of greater width than the corresponding lower overlying portion of the first front panel and cooperating with the rear panel to form leg receiving portions, the second panel being gath ered along its secured edges in the leg portions, said panels being formed of fabric which is elastic in a horizontal direction and substantially inelastic in a vertical direction thereof, and a crotch piece having elasticity in a front to back direction only of the garment and connecting the second front panel and rear panel and cooperating therewith in forming leg openings.

2. A ladys bathing suit having an upper portion of fabric which is elastic horizontally of the suit and substantially inelastic vertically of the suit, said upper portion having an upper edge extending across the back and curving forwardly and upwardly to pass under the arms and to extend upwardly along each side of the bust of the wearer; a hem of said fabric having its elasticity lengthwise thereof secured along said upper edge; an elastic band secured to and extending lengthwise of said hem, the elastic band being secured to the hem portions lying medially of the back and along each side of the bust while such portions are in substantially nonstretched condition and the band is in substantially tensioned condition, whereby such hem portion will normally be gathered; and shoulder 5 straps connected to opposite ends of said hem to REFERENCES CITED apply tension to the elastic band and hem to cause The following references are of record in the the latter to snugly engage the body of the file of this patent:

wearer.

3. A ladys bathing suit having an upper por- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of fabric which is elastic horizontally of Number Name Date the suit and substantially inelastic vert cally 0 916,731 Liliedahl Mar. 30, 1909 the suit, s d upp r p t n hav g an upper d 1,749,294 McDaniel Mar. 4, 1930 extending across the back and curving forwardly 1,73 ,3 9 Rfitledge 30, 1930 and upwardly to pass under the arms and to 1 1,867,445 Dllls July 12, 1932 tend upwardly along each side of the bust of 2,061,402 Hollar Nov. 17, 1936 the wearer; a hem of said fabric having its e aS- 2,091,441 Hauser Aug. 31, 1937 ticity lengthwise thereof secured along said 119- 2,110,056 Robbins Mar, 1, 1938 per edge; a continuous elastic band secured t 2,120,173 Cohen June 7, 1938 and extending lengthwise of said hem, said hem 2,268,781 Slotorofi Jan. 6, 1942 being gathered in the portions thereof lying medi- 2,279,222 Bowman Apr. 7, 1942 ally of the back and along each side of the bust 2,333,155 Dorfman Nov. 2, 1943 during non-stretched condition of the elastic band in such portions, whereby the elastic band in FOREIGN PATENTS such gathered hem portions may be subjected Number Country Date to greater tension than the ungathered portions 0 Aust l a a 1942 of the hem; and shoulder straps connected to op- 522,221 Great Britain J 12, 1940 posite ends of said hem to apply tension to the 305,629 France u 1936 elastic band and hem, and relatively greater tension to the elastic band in said gathered hem portions.

ROSE MARIE REID. 

